Gracie Update

As I promised...this post shall be all @ Gracie Grace.  She continues to eat well & I almost have her totally switched over to Pate's food - same as Duds with the dog food.  I simply refused to purchase 4 kinds of pet food for my dogs & cats...so now they are sharing more than just the house :)

Gracie has proven to be a formidable opponent for Payton. If memory serves me correct - she has only lost one " spat " with her cousin & that was just the other night.  He surprised her by Trevor's bedroom door & scared the bee-gees out of her & got a good right hook in!!  There have also been times when all 5 critters were in Trev's room & got along fine - she really does not have any issues with Bella or Festus & has even touched noses w/out incident.

                  Here she is before her launch to Trev's dresser

Success....where she proudly sits & waits for some poor sucker to come along & touch her favorite toy....then SMACK....game on!!




She is SO affectionate & purrs up a storm  when you just speak to her.  She has also learned that Trev's bed is VERY comfortable & she particularly likes to lay on his jeans .....so he leaves them there for her :) 

Now, it may seem like she's always on the dresser.....during the day it's probably true BUT when she is roaming around @ night...this photographer is in bed !

30 days & Counting.....

The title implies......that it now feels like the Duds has been here a very long time & not just a month.  He goes out with his pack & comes in with his pack. If/when we ever forget that he has failed to join the conga line that reenters the house....we are soon reminded a lil terrier was left behind.  Lately, he tries to be the first one in - often zooming underneath Bella's belly!! And that's usually when he targets Payton ( fear not ) & a chase ensues.....leaving Pate either under the kitchen table OR behind the couch.  It SO reminds me of the mornings on the hill when he would do this w/ Gracie :)

       If you look very closely ....you'll spot a tiny head behind Bru's chair.    .      This is my living room EVERY morning after their breakfast.

           Here's a closer shot of the tired terrier catching some zzzzzz's!!!
           It's gets REAL loud when Bru is in his chair @ night too :)



I'm also VERY happy to report that @ Dudley's weigh-in last week - he was a mere 16.5 lbs.  The last weight charted in Oct.'10 was a whopping 19.5lbs. This is really great progress as I've always heard 1 pound dogie weight is equivalent to 6 lbs for a human. So, in a way, the Duds has lost over 10lbs......I bet I would too, if someone took all my treats to Wisconsin for the barn dogs & ran me ragged @ the tennis courts & then walked me endlessly in nice weather....only to feed me twice a day with fresh water daily inside & out. 

Yeah Duds - we love you too!!

He did - WHAT?????

Friday was exactly one month that Dudley & Gracie landed in Illinois.  It was also Pud's B'day - I felt sad not being able to call her & sing to her as I did every year......she would always tell me NOT to quit my day job!!!  I do miss her......altho I also feel I have a part of her in my home thru the Duds & GG...I just hope she's not yelling @ me from above b/c of all the corrections Duds has received. I'm also happy to share that they are less & less  every day :)



The other morning I was working/playing in the garage & Trev came out & said Pate & Gracie just had a rumble & her food & water dishes went flying.  I calmly explained that they are slowly getting acquainted feline style & I'm sure the carpet would dry nicely.

                          Said dishes that went flying


About a half hour later, he was in the garage w/ me  airing out Gracie's dining room table aka wet box top....& as he entered the house, said, " Mom did you hear THAT?  It sounded like glass breaking?"  I said I didn't & asked him to take a stroll inside & check it out for me.  He retr'd shortly (my house is on the small side) & said he didn't see anything amiss, so we both went about our business.



Before lunchtime  I went inside & walked into the living room & noticed the wall mirror was .....MISSING!!!!  I pulled out the loveseat & lo & behold...there was the crash my son had heard. The weight of the mirror had ripped the plug to the fan I had brought in earlier out of the wall socket...so after alot of cursing & snarling on my part - I bent the prongs back into their original shape &  plugged in my beloved fan.... and .... it did NOT work.....b/c the wire had been chewed straight thru!!!!! 

           Katie's antique mirror that hung above the loveseat for years

                      The brand new fan & very empty wall



  Now....who could have done ALL this destruction you ask ?



 

                                   Innocent....

                                 Also innocent......

            Innocent party in the garage - was w/ me the whole time :)

                  Innocent...still recovering from food debacle

 

 

                             Innocent in Wisconsin......

                      Believe it or not.....also innocent

                         GUILTY        GUILTY        GUILTY


Payton had been on a rampage all morning & managed to destroy 2 rooms!!!
I fear he now has 7 years bad luck coming his way & can't help but think what that can mean for the rest of us????


I would like to thank Kyle for purchasing the new fan & wire cover that now protects the cord from HIS cat's wire chewing obsession. BTW, it got to be 90 degrees that afternoon so I ended up putting on the AC.....lucky for you Pate.

Nice Quiet Sunday Morn - NOT!!!

This past Sunday morning @ 5:30am, I let the dogs out...back in ...fed them...let them back out & back in again. This has become our daily routine so I felt confident to leave the estate & retrieve the Sunday papers at the end of our driveway. All week he has calmly laid down in front of the washer & waited ...in silence.

             WRONG                   WRONG                   WRONG


How could I have known that Dudley would start barking his VERY high pitched yap @ the top of his lungs??? I was half way down our driveway when I heard the ruckus & zoomed to pick the papers (why o why - do we get 3 on Sundays - I've have to speak w/ Bru @ that ) only to have a very happy lil Terrier greet me enthusiastically @ the back door....still barking & his tail going 100 miles an hour!!!  As cute as this all looked, I was not happy & corrected him.  He then goes into another chorus...spins  around & now is in hot pursuit of Payton, who happened to be innocently  walking in the living room. He quickly chased him successfully behind the couch - one down! Then he whips around - looking for other suspects I'm sure - finding none b/c Bella & Festus head for high ground after eating ....aka....couch & love seat & Gracie was safe in Trev's room. He then happily trotted to his beloved space behind Bru's chair - feeling his work was complete & was snoring in seconds!!

I don't know HOW my men fell back asleep, but they managed & when they awoke later...there was Duds to greet them with his lil tail wagging & looking cuter than cute.

  They asked what the heck happened earlier & why was he barking.....my reply was.....I wish I knew.

Oh Doo-Dah......

We are now in week 3 of owning the Duds & Gracie.  He continues to crack me up w/ his lil wacky ways.  I'm thrilled that he is adapting so quickly & seems more comfortable every day.  The real challenge of late is the outside world...aka the back yard.

               Dudley likes to wander around the  bird bath frequently

                Duds & Bella checking out the neighbor's driveway

     2 becomes 4 in a heartbeat when Marco & Festus decide to join in the fun!

                         Add in some neighborhood kids .....

                     And a canine soiree is in full swing :)


Eventually Marco had to go in & the kids all said good bye & left to go play.  Bru & I  returned to our chairs in the patio along w/ Bella & Festus. Next thing we hear is yap yap yap aka Duds standing solo by the fence demanding the party continue!!  I corrected the first time.....then Bru...then me...then Bru ( ya get the picture ?).....then finally there was peace & quiet.  Until, he started up again.....this time Bella went to see what the ruckus was about & soon after Duds came trotting in the patio.  Few minutes pass & out he goes to the once fab corner & starts yapping again.....this time Festus takes off & here comes the Dud.  Last time out.....Duds went to the corner....yapped once....& retreated to the patio  & took a much needed time out.

I KID YOU NOT - IF WE HADN'T BEEN THERE OUR SELVES WE WOULD NOT HAVE BELIEVED IT!!! 

Apparently canine body language speaks much louder than ours :)

Too Good to be Bad......I Don't Think So

Gracie Grace has been making real progress as of late.  She is eating more & more every day ( still looks quite thin next to out 2 y/o feline ) & has now ventured into the living room area.  This happens once the dust settles in the evening & both the elder humans are in deep slumber.  She seems to enjoy the younger crowd - Trev & Ky - due to their active night owl ways. 

So far this week she has head butted my son early in the morning, attempted to claw her way up his bedroom curtains & while playing gets a good scratch/bite in!!  When Trev shared all of this.... I could tell he was shocked his lil room mate was being bad....I just smiled b/c for her to actually act like a cat tells me she is feeling darn good!

                          GG on patrol in Trev's window

             Here is Payton, her arch nemesis, even challenging the Mastiff!



She & Pate have not exactly experienced the cousin bond I was hoping for...YET.
They growl, hiss & slink around alot - til Pate pounces..then we have a rumble..so far Gracie is in the lead. Poor Pate is NOT used to being chastised by another feline - Ivy was too much of a lady to take him on ...while GG is giving him a run for his money & wants top billing. The squirt bottle has also been popular as of late - for Pate when he gets TOO nosy & pushy....I know he blames HER :)


She has come nose to nose w/ Bella w/out incident & still seems pretty unfazed by the Pug...sorry Fest. 

As the days get warmer & windows can be open - I feel she will want to investigate different window sills & directions ( altho right now she's loving the southern exposure in Trev's room ) & slowly make her way around the house. I just hope she has eyes in the back of her head b/c Payton will be watching her every move.

Two's Company - Three's a Crowd? Not in this House.....

We have reached yet another week that the Ohio cousin critters have resided here in Illinois.  Dudley continues to progress nicely - altho sometimes he just can't help himself & reverts back to his old ways.

The latest example of this was on Easter Sunday. He just could not understand why - if you were done with your business outside -  you had to remain there ....minus a leash???

So, every time he started barking at the patio door - a correction was needed & given & he would turn around & trot back thru the patio to join his cousins  Bella & Fest in the back yard.  IF either Bru or I walked into the garage.....a chorus of yaps rang eternal - I had forewarned our neighbors close by that we now had a barker & he was presently in Bangs De-barking Boot Camp.

Needless to say corrections were made & silence once more was restored. I must admit,it took us twice as long to get things done outside BUT he needs to learn how things roll here on Haddow.  I swear ...my other 2 canines look @ him like he's crazy...almost like saying," cool it Fido - they ALWAYS comes back "!

               Here's Bru & his pack of 3 returning from their walk...



One of the perks of now owning a Terrier is....man....can he walk!  My other 2 are good for a few blocks then you can see/feel them slow down due to their hips  (Bella) & back legs (Fest).  The Duds, on the other hand, has become very adept @ heeling nicely & has energy to burn....which in turn is wonderful for me :)